monocotyledonous
9.9
A plant that has one seed leaf inside its seed, like grasses and lilies
- adjective
- /ˌmɒnəˌkɒtɪˈliːdənəs/
- Specialized
:
monocotiledóneo
- Grasses are typically monocotyledonous, featuring narrow leaves and fibrous root systems.
Examples
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Many monocotyledonous species, such as wheat and rice, are important food crops.
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The orchid is a monocotyledonous plant, known for its unique flower structure.
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Notholirion thomsonianum (D. Don) Stapf belonging to a monocotyledonous family
Academic text (2014)
Antonyms
Surface Forms
monocotyledonous positive
Morphology
monocotyledonous = monocotyledon (semi-transparent) = mono + cotyledon + ous
The adjective is formed regularly from the botanical noun 'monocotyledon' with '-ous', but the base term is specialized scientific vocabulary, so the meaning is only partly accessible to general learners.
Etymology
Monocotyledonous comes from mono- 'one' and cotyledon 'seed leaf'. It names flowering plants, like grasses and lilies, that have just one seed leaf inside the seed, so the young plant starts with a single leaf.